Method and apparatus in a radio communication system

• US 6,567,646 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Eklöf, Jan, Andersson, Ingvar
• Primary Examiner(s): VUONG, QUOCHIEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/469,233
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 455/62, 455/63, 455/67.1, 455/226.1, 455/226.2, 455/226.3, 455/226.4, 455/266, 455/296, 455/307, 455/67.3
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal

Abstract

Variations in received signal amplitude caused by filter characteristics are reduced by a C/I measuring apparatus for a signal having a fluctuating carrier-frequency, comprising a filter for filtering the signal and means for splitting the signal into an RSS signal representing the signal strength and a BB signal representing the momentary carrier frequency deviation, comprising means for measuring the RSS signal unaffected by the frequency dependent attenuation in the IF filter. A method of measuring the C/I of a received signal is also disclosed. The method comprises the steps of filtering the signal using an IF filter to obtain one signal channel, feeding the signal to the FM detector and the RSSI unit, and measuring the signal strength of the received signal at a selected, substantially constant, carrier frequency.

Claims

1. A Carrier over Interference (C/I) measuring apparatus for a signal having a fluctuating carrier frequency, comprising:

an intermediate frequency (IF) filter for filtering the signal;

a sampling unit for sampling a Received Signal Strength (RSS) of the signal;

a level detecting unit for monitoring a Base Band (BB) of the signal, wherein the level detecting unit controls the sampling unit such that when the amplitude of the BB signal is equal to a level specified in the level detecting unit, the sampling unit samples the RSS signal; and

a processing unit for measuring the RSS signal unaffected by the frequency dependent attenuation in the IF filter.

2. A C/I measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining at least one point in time when the BB signal is substantially equal to a constant carrier frequency deviation.

3. A C/I measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining at least one point in time at which the BB signal is substantially equal to the level specified in the level detecting unit and measuring the RSS signal at the at least one point in time.

4. A C/I measuring apparatus according to claim 3, comprising:

means for dividing the BB signal into measurement sequences;

means for taking the least two samples in each measurement sequence of the BB signal;

means for Interpolating between at least two samples in each measurement sequence of the BB signal to obtain at least one point in which the carrier frequency deviation and the IF filter attenuation is constant; and

means for sampling the RSS signal at the at least one calculation point of the BB signal.

5. A method of measuring a Carrier over Interference (C/I) of a received signal comprising the steps of:

filtering the signal using an Intermediate Frequency (IF) filter to obtain one signal channel;

feeding the signal to a Frequency Modulation (FM) detector and a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) unit;

monitoring a Base Band (BB) signal by a level detecting unit;

triggering a measuring device to sample the RSS signal when the BB signal is equal to the levels specified in the level detecting unit;

using the samples to regenerate the RSS signal; and

measuring the signal strength of the received signal at a selected, substantially constant, carrier frequency.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the selected carrier frequency is selected so that the attenuation of the filter is substantially stable for frequencies near the selected carrier frequency.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the selected carrier frequency is substantially the center frequency of the filter.

8. A method according to claim 5, comprising the steps of:

determining at least one point in time at which the BB signal is substantially equal to a constant carrier frequency deviation; and

measuring the RSS signal at the at least one point in time.

9. A method according to claim 8, comprising the steps of:

dividing the BB signal into measurement sequences;

taking at least one sample in each measurement sequence of the BB signal;

selecting for each measurement sequence at least one sample nearest to a zero level; and

sampling the RSS signal at the at least one selected sample of the BB signal.

10. A method according to claim 8, comprising the steps of:

dividing the BB signal into measurement sequences;

taking at least one sample in each measurement sequence of the BB signal;

interpolating between at least two samples in each measurement sequence to obtain at least one point in which the carrier frequency deviation and the IF filter attenuation of the BB signal is constant; and

sampling the RSS signal at the at least one interpolated zero point of the BB signal.